Texas Man Sentenced for Child Porn, Blames West Nile Virus

A Texas man is behind bars today, and will be there for 20 years after being sentenced for various charges including the possession of child pornography. 30 year old Irving Jose Marquez was arrested last year after investigators found that he was placing a a tiny video camera and recording equipment in the family restroom at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso.

Detectives with the El Paso PD have determined that this man secretly recorded up to 20 individuals in compromising positions on 2 separate occasions before retrieving the devices. According to the El Paso Times, Marquez captured illegal footage of people of all ages and genders. After a vigorous investigation, officials found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on numerous devices belonging to the defendant.

On August 22nd of last year, Marquez plead guilty to receipt and distribution of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor (a federal offense).

Lawyers for Marquez tried to convince U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama to issue a more lenient punishment. They asked for the minimum sentence allowed under the guidelines - 5 years in prison and "extensive supervised release.” The defense explained that Mr. Marquez contracted the West Nile Virus, and the ensuing infection left him with brain damage. That brain damage, council for the defense argued, caused their client to become "sexually aggressive" to the point that he could no longer control himself. They also stated that since the incident, Marquez had been taking medicine and was no longer suffering from those effects.

Judge Guaderrama apparently showed some understanding of the situation, but still sentenced Marquez to the maximum allowable punishment under the sentencing guidelines - 20 years in federal prison, a lifetime of supervised release after, and has been ordered to pay $3,200 in restitution to four victims. According to the report, Guaderrama had this to say to the convicted of his decision:

I apologize life has been significantly unfair to you. You are asking for me to give you a second chance because you are on medication and a new man. … But doing that puts a lot of people at risk. … Giving you a second chance means taking a second chance on other victims. … I am not willing to do that.”